What Is the Difference Between the Different Types of Lentils?

The numerous different types of lentils differ in color and size as well as in their nutritional content. They are very versatile in their intended use – our lentil recipes also prove this. Unpeeled, legumes take quite a long time to cook due to their hard shell. Depending on the variety, 60 to 90 minutes are usual here. The cooking time can be reduced somewhat by soaking the legumes in water beforehand, preferably for several hours. However, there are also individual varieties that cook quite quickly because they are sold peeled or are very small. There are now even pasta alternatives made from lentil flour. You can find out how to cook with it in our lentil noodle recipe, for example.

• Plate lenses are particularly common in this country. For example, they form the basis for a hearty lentil soup. They come in green or brown, and their rather thick shell easily bursts open when cooked. The lentils become quite soft in consistency and are well suited for soups, stews, or purees. Our recipe suggestion: Lentil stew with Kassler.
• Red lentils are particularly practical: they are usually available in stores already peeled. Because of this, they take on the flavor of spices well. Because of the missing skin and their comparatively small size, they cook very quickly. In boiling water, they only need about 15 to 20 minutes. They boil down to a viscous porridge that is very suitable for soups – for example in the recipe for red lentil soup – but also as a basis for dips, spreads, or purees. Red lentils come from India and are used in many Indian dishes, such as dal.
• Yellow lentils cook in about the same time as red lentils and can be processed in the same way. They are also sold peeled. Although lentils that have already been peeled are very practical to prepare, they contain fewer flavors and nutrients than unpeeled lentils. Similar to wholemeal flour, the peel contains a particularly large number of aromas, fibers, and other nutrients.
• Puy lentils also cook quickly because they are very small. They are originally from France and are grey-green in color. They taste slightly nutty and are considered a particularly fine type of lentil.
• Beluga lentils are also considered to be very noble, as their alternative designation “caviar lentils” indicates. Both Beluga and Puy lentils retain a firmer texture than other varieties, as well as a slight bite after cooking. They are therefore particularly suitable for salads such as our beluga lentil salad.